A few days ago a customer asked me which binding style was the best. I asked him exactly what he meant by “best.” The customer then went on to explain that he worked in construction and had to bind plans and documents to take to the work site.

He told me that the bound documents would probably be tossed around, stepped on and abused. He then said, “I need something that will hold up through all this without falling apart.”

I then went on to explain to him the advantages and disadvantages of the different binding formats when being used in a construction environment. Here is a summary of what I told him:

Most Durable Binding Formats:

1. Coil Binding – Coil binding (aka Spiral Binding) wins this contest hands down. Coils can literally be run over by a car and still maintain the bind. The pages turn a full 360 degrees and are perfect for a construction work site.
2. Comb Binding – Comb binding is very durable, and affordable. Because the spines are made from plastic, they hold up pretty well. The bind, however, will show signs of wear faster that a coil-bound document.
3. VeloBinding – VeloBinding is extremely durable and can withstand a lot of wear and tear. The downside, with regards to the customer’s question, is that VeloBound pages cannot turn a full 360 degrees, making this binding format less user friendly for a construction site.
4. Wire Binding – Wire binding is probably the least durable of the common binding formats. Wire binding spines can be bent and do not hold their form well when exposed to rigorous environments.

Have a question about durable binding styles? Post your question here!

How can you make your report or book look more professional? Here are a few tips that will take your bound report from OK to classy.

When binding a report, many people will create a title page or decorative cover on their computer, print it out and bind it to the front page of their booklet. This isn’t always the most professional look. I highly recommend using a report cover to improve the overall look and appearance.

The most common report cover combination is to use a clear cover for the front and a solid card stock cover for the back. This combination looks clean and professional. Clear covers come in different thicknesses, depending on your preference. Card stock covers are available in a variety of textures, colors and styles. You can find our report covers and clear covers here.

The style of binding can also dramatically change the look of your document. Changing from a plastic comb to double-loop wire look can add an extra degree of professionalism to a document. The style of binding you use will depend on the situation, but double-loop wire and coil binding are very popular for professional reports. You can find our book binding machines here.

Using one or more of these tips will really add an extra dimension to your bound report or book. Good luck!

Finding a good binding machine can sometimes be difficult. A lot of the binding machines out there are now made from plastic components and just don’t stand the test of time. We have compiled a list of the best comb, wire and coil binding machines. This list is based off of customer satisfaction, volume sold and customer service record. Enjoy!

Top 10 Best Binding Machines:

1. Akiles WireMac Wire Binding Machine

2. Akiles CoilMac-ECI Coil Binding Machine

3. Tahsin 210 PB Comb Binder

4. Renz RW Wire Binding Machine

5. Akiles Megabind Comb Binder

6. Akiles WireMac Duo Wire Binding Machine

7. Akiles WireMac Combo Comb & Wire Binding Machine

8. Akiles CoilMac-M Coil Binding Machine

9. Renz Combi-S Comb Binding Machine

10. EB-32 Wire Binding Machine

Over the past few years I have had many people ask the question, “Why use a binding machine?” This is usually from friends and acquaintances that know I am in the office equipment business. Having been around binding machines for years, the question initially struck me as odd, but looking at it from the perspective of a person unfamiliar with the equipment, I can understand why.

Seriously. Why would you want to use or buy a binding machine? I’ll tell you why. Using a binding machine is a very effective way to present material. Bound paper simply looks good.

There are several binding formats available, ranging from comb and wire to coil and VeloBind. Binding machines can be used to create home-printed novels, cookbooks and calendars.

In a professional setting, binding machines are great for binding financial reports and presentations. Binding a report, rather than simply stapling it, is classy. It is like wearing a collared shirt and tie versus a t-shirt to a formal business meeting. Simply put, it makes a great impression.

Binding machines are also popular with businesses, legal offices and other organizations for organizing financial reports, invoices and other data. Some VeloBind machines can securely bind up to three-inches of paper! Many advertising agencies like to use binding machines for proposals.

In a school environment, a binding machine can be used to help a child bind a wide variety of literature and schoolwork. Comb binding machines are especially popular with elementary schools due to their durability and inexpensive cost.

ABC Office has a wide variety of binding machines, literally hundreds. You can view the entire selection of binding machines here. You can see a video demonstration of the four most popular binding formats by clicking on the following links:

Comb Binding
Wire Binding
Coil Binding
VeloBinding

We are always looking at new ways to help educate our customers and help them learn more about the office equipment they are purchasing. Over the past few years we added several product category guides to our Web site loaded with information. You can find those guides by going here:
http://www.abcoffice.com/product_guide.htm.

We have just added three new “How To” guides to our Web site. The “How To” guides are different than the older guides because the offer more detailed information on specific products. The three new guides just added to ABC Office are the How To Comb Bind, How To Wire Bind and How To VeloBind.

Each guide includes detailed information on how to use the binding machines including step-by-step details and also includes links to video demonstrations of the products. You can find the three current “How To” guides here:

How To Comb Bind

How To Wire Bind

How To VeloBind

We plan on adding many more “How To” guides to our Web site over the coming weeks and months. Be sure to come back and check out our new guides!

I have worked with binding machines and office equipment for the last five years. I have worked with a variety of entry-level office equipment. As with just about anything, some models of binding machines are more durable and last longer than others. This is to be expected with entry-level office equipment vs. high-end office equipment.

A few months ago we brought in some of the newer Akiles binding machines from our warehouse to our showroom floor. We brought in about three different wire binding machines, two coil and one comb. I decided to shoot a few video demos to help give customers a better idea as to how they work. After a few
weeks of shooting videos and training people I discovered that these binding machines aren’t your usual run of the mill products.

The first thing I noticed is how heavy they are. They aren’t so heavy you can’t more them, but they are heavy
enough to let you know they are built well. Because they are made out of metal, they are very durable. For the cost, I would definitely go with an Akiles WireMac, CoilMac or MegaBind over any plastic comparable models. The punching was very clean and setting the machines up was even easier. The booklets I bound on all the machines looked very professional.

I would highly recommend viewing these products and checking out the broadband video demos available on several of the models. I am in the process of getting broadband demos available for the MegaBind comb binding machines. All these machines are made by Akiles. You can request a live video demo on all these models and receive one-on-one training from one of our sales associates. You can find these new binding machines by going here:

MegaBind (Comb Binding)

MegaBind 1E (Comb Binding)

WireMac (Wire Binding)

WireMac Duo (Wire Binding)

WireMac E (Wire Binding)

CoilMac ECI (Coil Binding)

CoilMac EPI (Coil Binding)

Although many would have thought we would now be living in a paperless age, paper is still very widely used. People like to have something tangible when reading a story, the news or a report. Many people don’t like reading from a computer, although you are probably doing so now. It is very easy to circle something with your pen or highlighting parts of an article with your marker.

Because paper is so widely used, binding machines are growing in popularity. Because binding machines have come down in price, in-house binding is no longer a novelty. There are now several methods of binding that you can use, depending on your preference and taste. Creating a report, a booklet or a news article is now easier than ever. But it didn’t always used to be so easy.

Binding machines are a new convenience, with respect to the history of binding. In the days of the pyramids, the Egyptians wrote on papyrus rolls and chiseled words into stone. Animal skins were widely used in western Asia, due to their durability and abundance. Sumerians and Hittites used clay tablets to do their writing. The Romans used wax tablets for quick and easy note taking.

During the middle ages, books were uniquely bound with wooden boards as covers. Wooden boards made these books very heavy and awkward to use. These covers were often decorated with silk, leather and velvet. Bookbinding’s primary purpose was to preserve historical records and documents. Most people were not able to read what was written.

Even during the 20th century, binding machines were large and not available to everybody. It cost a lot to bind things, and you needed access to a publisher. The closest most people got to binding their own reports and documents was by use of a hole punch or a stapler.

Present day, there are now a wide variety of binding machines available to the public. Comb, wire and coil binding machines have become the most popular methods of in-house binding. You can learn more about different styles of binding machines here.

Copy centers must make a good profit binding documents for their customers. I remember when I was in college, not long ago, and had to get my reports bound for class. The end result looked good, but it cost me several dollars to have the report finished. I wasn’t very particular as to the method of binding either. I just wanted to make sure the pages stayed in place and didn’t fall apart when the professor got it.

Now that I work in the office automation equipment industry, I realize what goes into binding a document or report. I had no idea back then how many different methods of binding exist today. I didn’t realize how easy binding really is and that I could do it myself. Many businesses, and students for that matter, do not realize that binding can be done in-house at a fraction of the cost at a copy center.

There are a wide variety of binding machines to choose from. The most popular binding machines are comb, wire and coil. These machines are small, compact and can be used just about anywhere. Many schools use comb-binding machines, because the combs are re-usable and inexpensive. Businesses and professional organizations will use all three. You can see all the binding machines available for in-house binding here.

Another important part of making a bound document look professional is the front and back cover. These covers are usually made of card stock. Several card stocks are available, with different colors and textures. It is usually a good idea to get a binding cover that matches the binding element that you will be using to bind the document. Clear covers are another popular report cover. The clear cover protects your document and allows the reader to see the cover sheet underneath. You can see all our binding covers here.

For more information on binding machines and how they work, take a look at our binding guide.